How the Mask Breaks
by bladewielder05
Summary: While Nadir (Dark Pit) and his friends are cleaning up his brother's things, they stumble across Pit's journal. They naturally wonder what Pit possibly could have written. Yet Nadir reads it not because of idle curiosity but because of his desire to know exactly what went through his brother's head before he died. What they will find will change their relationships forever. R&R!


**What?! A Super Smash Bros Story that isn't a contest entry coming from me?! What blasphemy is this?! What has this world come to?! Unforgivable!**

 **Just kidding. This is actually an assignment for my Writing class, so that's why I'm churning it out, rhetoric and all. I had plans to actually write this beforehand as a way to vent but I never got around to it as I was uncertain what I think. This assignment gave me an excuse to actually start and finish it XD I really enjoyed writing this, and I almost shed a few tears XD. Truthfully, this could be an entry to a contest I'm currently in, but I have other plans for that contest, so this would be my little one-shot for school and for fun.**

 **Please note that Dark Pit takes on the name of Nadir, F!Robin is Roseclere, and F!WiiFitTrainer has the name Willa. There's really nothing else that I have in mind to say other than please R &R! I hope you enjoy this heartbreaker!**

* * *

How the Mask Breaks

"Careful with that!" Nadir hissed angrily. Marth ignored him as the bluenette attempted to carefully pull the box from the shelf, focusing more on the task of not crushing his fingers rather than Nadir's rude manner. He inhaled slightly through his nose with relief when he managed to accomplish it without any casualties. Looking over the box, he searched for some clear ground in order to step down from his high height. Instead, he saw his girlfriend holding out her arms for the box.

"Here, I'll take that, Marth," the snow-haired woman smiled. Marth cautiously placed it in her hands before beginning his climb down. Roseclere placed the new box on the floor, exhaling deeply once she straightened up.

"I never knew that Pit had so much stuff," Lucina commented as she closed a few lids to the dusty cardboard boxes before standing up to look around. Nadir snorted, kicking a box to the side in order to place another storage item down in its place. He waved away the dust that flew upwards in anger at his disturbance of the resting place.

"He's always been a packrat. I never knew why he wanted to keep these things in the first place. Some of them are just useless junk."

"Maybe he just wanted to keep them because they remind him of things," his girlfriend suggested, smiling.

"And he's a pussy for that," Nadir muttered quietly as he opened up one box to see what was inside in slight hope that he would be able to throw away the contents. Instead he stared silently at some faded knickknacks that he recognized as Christmas decorations. His hand reached in to grab the white angel that the two brothers took turns putting at the top of their tree when they were younger. His expression didn't change but his eyes did soften as he stroked the angel's black feathers. The ornament's wings were supposed to be white, yet Nadir remembered how his brother had painted them black so that he wouldn't feel "left out". Though he found it stupid at the time, he couldn't help but feel his heart warming at the memory before dropping at the realization that something like that wouldn't be able to happen again. His heart leapt in slight surprise when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, Nadir's red eyes met Lucina's blue ones. A sad smile crossed her face as she guessed what was racing through her boyfriend's mind. No words were exchanged, and Nadir silently turned away. He placed the angel back into the box to clean up the other things. He considered taking that particular box to his new home.

"But Lucina's right," Marth groaned, rubbing a shoulder. "Pit does have a lot of things. I kinda wished Link and Cloud were here to help us with all of this. We could use the manpower of those two…" The easing movement of strained muscles didn't escape Nadir's notice.

"Link has something with his girlfriend," he retorted. "And Cloud's busy with God-knows-what. Besides, your fault for wanting to help."

Roseclere looked at the black angel teasingly, "Well, Pit is our dear friend after all. And he did help me and Marth get together. I couldn't be more indebted to him than I already am." Nadir was about to snap an answer just because he was in a worse mood today than usual when he stopped himself. It was true. Pit did more for them than anybody else. He helped two childhood friends get together and aided Nadir in finally finding love with Lucina. Though he would normally gag at things like that, he couldn't help but smile slightly at those memories. If Pit wasn't there during those times, they wouldn't even be here cleaning up his stuff. Nadir wouldn't even have met Roseclere, Marth, or Lucina. Yet the young man's expression fell when he thought that perhaps…just perhaps, if Pit wasn't there during those times, maybe he would still be here. He couldn't really explain it, but it was a simple feeling he had that poked the back of his mind since all of them graduated from high school.

"Hey! Look what I found!" Marth's excited voice caught the twin's attention. The three friends looked to see the young man holding up a yellow-stained book. There was neat cursive on the cover, but Roseclere couldn't exactly see why her boyfriend was excited to see such a thing. Before she could ask, she felt Nadir push her to the side. The young man rushed over and snatched the book from the bluenette's hand, earning a slight cry of indignation. Marth was about to rebuke Nadir's rough manner when he noticed how intensely his friend was staring at the book. Lucina and Roseclere walked over to see what the real fuss was about.

"What's that?" Roseclere finally managed to ask.

Nadir exhaled shakily. His hands trembled a bit, his knuckles white from clutching the book. "This…this was Pit's journal."

"That's what it was?" Lucina peered at the book with a renewed interest. She had seen it a few times during their break time in high school. Pit sometimes wrote in it while they messed around. Whenever asked about it, he simply said that it was his records on his requests. Nadir nodded wordlessly. He remembered when he had snatched it away from Pit once and immediately grew bored with it when he saw that Pit only wrote his ships in there. It was only after they became older did Nadir begin to respect Pit's privacy and learn that the dead brother also treated it as a journal. A thought struck him and, without warning, Nadir flipped through the book. Roseclere placed a hand in an attempt to stop him.

"Wait! This is a private thing! We shouldn't be reading it!" she protested.

"My brother's dead," Nadir said resolutely. "It's not going to hurt him. Besides…" he paused, wondering whether he should reveal his true intentions about the situation. Almost as immediately as he felt the hesitation, he shook the doubt away. They were his friends and they deserved to know. Besides they were probably wondering about the same thing as he was concerning his dead brother. "I want to know why he started drinking on that night."

His three friends recoiled at that statement. They didn't want to remember it, but that simple line brought horrible memories of Pit's mangled, bloody body slumped over the pavement. The night when a drunk driver crashed into their friend, a few witnesses reported a white-dressed young man staggering around with what possibly looked like a bottle in his hands. Officers said that the crash killed him, but when the doctors examined Pit, they found shocking amounts of alcohol in his system. Nadir denied that Pit was addicted to hard drinks, yet even he couldn't explain the outrageous volume of beer, wine, and cocktail that had slid down Pit's throat to settle in his stomach that night. If anybody in their family was supposed to be an alcoholic, Nadir would admit that he was the most likely candidate to take that path. Even when Pit got the chance to drink at parties and gatherings, he refused to. The sudden enormous intake of alcohol surprised all of them, and saddened them.

Nobody knew why Pit drank as he did. His cheerfulness gave no evidence of any possible strife that Pit may have been facing. Some of his friends even thought that it was impossible for Pit to know the meaning of turmoil as he always seemed to have a happy, go-lucky grin on his face every day. Nothing seemed to be able to get him down. They were also reassured of the fact that if something was bothering Pit, he would go and talk to them about it. That's where Nadir began to wonder. He had a feeling that in reality Pit had been hiding something from all of them and, though Pit had wanted to talk about it with his friends, couldn't for some reason. His instincts told him that Pit's journal had something to say on that matter.

He finally flipped to a random section, noting the date. In neat cursive, the first line spoke:

 ** _August 22, 2012_**

 _High school started, and even though I don't even like school, I can't help but feel a bit excited since this is going to be my last year here! Besides, I wanted to see how much of my work is still standing. There's really nothing more satisfying than seeing couples that you helped bring together stay together. It's, dare I say it, cute. My brother always calls me a pussy for thinking that way, but hey, I am the Matchmaker of Sakurai High after all. I managed to get Mario and Peach together, pair my friend Link up with Rosalina, sail Ike and Zelda's ship, connect Mac and Willa, and put Douglas and Samus's relationship in gear. To this day, they are all still together, which makes me extremely happy to see that. Since I have no urging requests at the moment, it's now the perfect time to find the perfect match for my brother. It'll be my greatest challenge yet, considering how he wouldn't stay upbeat and everything. Many people tease that if he continues to scowl at everybody and make despairing comments then nobody would ever want to be with him. He would always retort how he would rather keep it that way. When I protest his stupid decision, he always tells me to shut up. He had told me that he wanted nothing to do with my Matchmaking multiple occasions, but I refuse! That would make it all the more delicious when I finally find his soulmate and prove everybody that my brother is compatible with somebody! I will find you a girlfriend, Nadir! I swear it on my duty as Matchmaker, or my name is not Pit Athan!_

Nothing there, but even as he read that, the twin began to feel guilt mounting at the memories of him mocking his older brother. It was a bit strange to see the younger tease the older, but Pit made it almost too easy for him. Ignoring that for the time being, Nadir flipped through before an underlined word caught his eye: Roseclere. His eyes greedily drank the page. Seeing his sudden interest at that particular page, his friends stretched and moved to read Pit's written words. Nadir sensed more than saw Roseclere and Marth flinch at the underlining of her name.

 ** _September 6, 2012_**

 _No sign of that perfect girl for Nadir yet. I know she's here somewhere…I just have to look harder…_

 _On another note, I had a new client today. Her name's_ _Roseclere_ _, and she's in a few of my classes. She had asked me to meet her at the crooked tree during lunch to discuss about her dilemma. She was already there when I arrived, which was good. I hated people who schedule an appointment with me but either show up late or don't show up at all. When I asked her who she liked, she didn't say anything for a few minutes and seemed to be lost in thought. Before I could ask her again, a friend of hers came up to ask her something. It was at that moment when I saw the signs, those tall-tell signs. The lowering of the eyes, the twiddling of the thumbs, the shivering of the eagerness, and the pounding of the heart. When her friend left, I asked her slyly if she wanted my services in helping her get together with that particular friend of hers. Though she was a bit shocked that I was able to guess her crush so easily, she nodded yes._

 _Roseclere_ _told me that she and Marth had been friends since elementary school. It was around middle school when she began developing feelings for him. From her story, I guessed that she had admitted her feelings to Marth at least once, but either he didn't get the hint or rejected her to the friend zone. This posed a serious problem to me. If they've been friends for that long, then some romantic feelings should have stirred up by now. I'll have to observe Marth for a while before deciding whether they are a good couple or not. I told her that I'll do my best but I cannot guarantee that it would work. She said that even if I didn't succeed, she appreciated my efforts and she would still be satisfied in being there for her friend. I liked her response, but at the same time, disliked it immensely. It showed me that she was very grateful and humbled that I would even consider her request, yet it also looked like to me that she doubted a bit of my skills. Of course, I would have to prove her wrong. I would do everything in my absolute power as Matchmaker to match these two lovebirds! I promise you,_ _Roseclere_ _, that I will get you two together!_

 ** _October 15, 2012_**

 _Roseclere came to our group again. She's been doing that a lot and I'm glad as it gives me a chance to really focus on her characteristics and learn about Marth's qualities. It's almost like she's avoiding Marth because she finally came to me for some help. I can't really help but laugh at that because every day it seemed like she was always with us now. When I commented on that, she immediately blushed and looked away. It was just so cute how easily she gets embarrassed like that. I advised her to be a bit more self-confident in herself. From what I've observed from Marth either from my classes or outside, he had a bad tendency to sometimes push people around. I can see he means well, but there are times that he pushes things a little too far. It kind of grates me to see that. He does apologize afterwards though, so that's a good thing. I told her that if she continued to let Marth do as he pleases all the time, then she wouldn't be able to handle him once they were married. I laughed when she recoiled at the word._

 _"We're not even together. Why are you bringing marriage up now?" she had asked, cheeks aflame. Her crimson tone nicely contrasted her snowy hair, so much so that I almost choked on my laughter again. I told her that being three steps ahead was the natural talent of a Matchmaker. If you're not ahead of the game, then you wouldn't be able to predict the various couple possibilities nor would you be successful in your matchmaking deeds. She ruefully acknowledged my point._

 _I feel that if Roseclere could just be a bit more confident in herself, she would have gotten the boy by now. She's everything that would make a great girlfriend, just not enough self-esteem. Though some guys would probably like that, seeing how they would then be the dominant person in the relationship, I can tell that Marth wouldn't be satisfied with a girl who always listened to and agreed with him, even if that was what he was used to. That's just part of being a couple; you have to be brave enough to see that your significant other is not perfect in every way and that you'll have to also help them become a better person. That goes without saying for the other half of the couple as well. I think I have a good game plan concerning them. Hopefully it would work. No, I'm sure it would work._

 _On another note, Nadir found out about my Underworld dealings. ;_; He yelled at me for even thinking about matching him with some random girl. When I tried to explain him that I was actually looking for somebody suitable and only wanted what was best for him, he just stormed away and refused to hang out with us for some days…I hope he can forgive me…but I refuse to let up. Maybe, if he had a girlfriend, he would be a bit more upbeat…it's like he's frowning and cussing more every day._

 ** _November 18, 2012_**

 _When I told Roseclere about my secret mission for my brother, she asked me if she was bothering me with her own problems. I had to reassure her that that certainly wasn't the case as she already knew who she wanted to be with while I had to start from scratch with Nadir. She still blamed herself though as she argued it was a lot more important that I find somebody for Nadir, who's practically been with me since birth, than help her with her romance problem. Again, I had to tell her not to worry about it as it was my decision to take on her request while doing my own request for my brother. It was quite sweet and touching of her to take some of the blame though…_

 _Other than that, I learned a bit more about Roseclere and Marth. It turns out the reason why she liked him so much was that he actually protected her from some bullies in their youth. How cute! It still amazes me how Marth has yet to return Roseclere's feelings. Truthfully I can't see a more perfect couple than them. It kind of irks me to admit that for some reason, but it is the truth that I can't deny. I still have a few ideas on how to bring them together. A few of them, Roseclere refused as she felt embarrassed to even think of such romantic settings. I couldn't help but laugh at her embarrassment. They may be cliché, I admit, but they work. That's why you see them so often. Still, since Roseclere doesn't really like that, I'll tone it down a bit._

 ** _December 28, 2012_**

 _I found the perfect girl for Nadir~! Roseclere had invited my group to the movies to watch some superhero film. She and a few friends, Marth included, were waiting for us in line. While we waited, Roseclere introduced us around. One girl caught my eye. Her name was Lucina, and she had been Roseclere's friend since middle school. Immediately I just knew that she was the 100% perfect girl for Nadir. And Nadir was the 100% perfect guy for Lucina. I could feel it in my matchmaking bones that they were absolutely made for each other. I already began thinking up of ways to get them together. I told Roseclere about my plans and she said that she could see Nadir and Lucina being together. Of course they could be together! They were practically fated to meet on this very day!_

 _While we waited, I struck a conversation with Lucina in order to get to know her a bit more. She really was the perfect girl for Nadir from what I learned. I tried to get them to talk and succeeded partway. They interacted for a bit before turning back to their respective friends. Roseclere gave me a teasing smile when she saw how disappointed I was. She told me that I shouldn't be down seeing how I would probably be able to get them together soon enough. After all, she added, they seemed to have enjoyed each other's company, even if it was brief. Roseclere's right! Now that I found the perfect girl for Nadir, there's no stopping me! Just you wait, Nadir! Prepare yourself to be shot with Cupid's arrow!_

 ** _January 2, 2013_**

 _I did it! I hooked Nadir up with Lucina! I finally paired Nadir with the girl of his dreams! It was at Cloud's New Year's Eve party that the seemingly-impossible happened! I told you it would happen! I was talking with Roseclere and Link while Nadir was just hanging around with us. I asked Roseclere whether Lucina was going to be here, secretly of course. She had smiled and told me that her friend would be arriving soon. Hearing that made me feel warm inside. Fortunately I learned patience early in my career. If I haven't I probably would have been bursting at the seams with impatience for my brother to finally be matched with her._

 _Lucina almost arrived too late. Nadir was close to leaving when I pleaded with him to stay. He reluctantly agreed but only for another hour. After I reintroduced them, my brother ended up staying for more than three hours. I kept an eye on them as they talked with each other throughout the night. When somebody else tried to hit on Lucina, Nadir actually growled at the guy to leave them alone. I told Roseclere about that and we laughed at how obvious my brother was with his affections. It was a good thing he did as I could see how uncomfortable Lucina was when that guy flirted with her. I thanked Roseclere for helping me with finding a soulmate for Nadir. She reassured me that she was happy to help and that she was glad to see Lucina so happy with somebody in a while. She confided with me that Lucina had her heart broken once and that she wasn't sure whether she was ready for romance again. She then thanked me for helping Lucina in my own special way. I couldn't but blush at that. I was glad to see Roseclere so happy like that…_

 _Anyways, Nadir was really taken in with Lucina. The walk home, I could tell he wanted to talk about her. Yet he knew that I knew that if he started I wouldn't stop teasing him. It's true. He was the one who never wanted my services in his love life. Ha! I sure proved him wrong! I wanted to rub it in his face, but I resisted that temptation. Nadir was embarrassed enough. He couldn't even bring himself to say a simple thank you. Still, I knew that he appreciated my help and that was enough for me. That's to say, it's not going to protect him from all the teasing I foresee in school. One down, one more to go!_

 ** _March 10, 2013_**

 _I feel like I failed my job as a Matchmaker. Despite my best efforts, I still can't help Roseclere get together with Marth. No matter what I do, it seems like it just backfires and Roseclere and Marth end up just being friends. I tried to think up of other ways but I don't know. Maybe I'm losing my touch? Even so, I don't want to tell Roseclere that nor do I really want to tell anybody. I have to admit, I'm really tempted to tell her but I'm resisting it. I can't let her know about my worries. That would only discourage her that she and Marth weren't meant together when I could clearly see they were practically made for each other like how Nadir and Lucina were._

 _I feel like she's depending so much on me to do this, even if she said that it would be all right if I didn't managed to do it. I can't let that happen. She's hoping for so much, and I can't let her down. I can't stand to see her so sad when I know that I'm capable of doing what she requested, even if I don't feel like it. For all my efforts I'm going to try, even if it seems hopeless. This is one request I refuse to give up on._

 _For Roseclere's sake, I'm still going to try._

 ** _May 23, 2013_**

 _Success! Marth and Roseclere are finally a couple! I was so excited when I heard the news! It was practically all over the school considering how they never saw one person without the other. All they really needed was the official seal, with a little help from me of course. Roseclere was the happiest I've ever seen of her. She was practically glowing so much that she might have blinded everybody! People kept walking up to her and Marth congratulating them so much, even more so than when Nadir and Lucina got together. All of us continued to tease them about it, joking how they_ finally _decided to accept the red string of fate. I always laugh whenever I see Roseclere's embarrassed face. There's something about it that makes me want to tease her even more just for fun…_

Nadir raised a confused brow when he saw how the pencil Pit wrote with seemed to have trailed off, as if he was in deep thought about what to write next.

 _But…for some reason…I'm not feeling as happy as I should be. I mean, this was one of my most difficult challenges yet and I should be proud of myself for be able to overcome such an obstacle. So why…why does my heart hurt so much? I may be a Matchmaker, but the human heart is complex enough to be different for millions of people. While I could see how other people's hearts worked, it's difficult even for me to see how_ my _heart works. I can't really explain it. It's just all really confusing to me right now. I wished that I could tell somebody about it…but I don't really know who to turn to. Nadir would probably just call me a pussy again for thinking about these things. I don't think I can tell Lucina about these things, even if she was Nadir's girlfriend. And I honestly don't want to talk with Roseclere right now. She's probably too busy with Marth…_

 ** _May 27, 2013_**

 _Even as I am writing this during lunch, my heart is still agonizing. Ever since Roseclere and Marth got together, Marth's been hanging out with our group now. He's a cool guy, I guess…he is into a few games that I also like, and he's fun to hang out with. There were times when Link joked that Marth was cheating on Roseclere with me considering how he made sure to include me in some activities and was always talking to me during break. Marth, in response, tossed Link's backpack into the bushes, causing my friend to grumblingly trudge over to the plants and retrieve it. For a skinny guy, Marth sure could throw that heavy backpack. I really had no choice but to join in with the ring of laughter…_

 _…_

 _Sorry. I had to stop writing for a moment. My brother told me to stop paying attention to my Matches and actually interact with them. I didn't want to disappoint, so that's why I had to set you down for a while. Anyways, Roseclere's birthday is coming up soon. She invited all of us to come over and just hang out, play some video games. Secretly I don't want to go. I don't know why, I just didn't, but I couldn't tell her that, so I just kept my mouth shut and smiled brightly. I promised her that I…we'll…all be there for her. My friends agreed with that statement, though Nadir did gag a little at how sappy my statement was. Hopefully I'll be able to make it through that day…I'm not sure why I would have that thought…maybe I just need a bit more sleep. I haven't been getting any proper sleep as something just constantly keeps me up at night…_

 ** _June 1, 2013_**

 _Today is Roseclere's birthday party. I'm not going. I feel sick. I want to throw up. I want to die. I don't know why I suddenly got the flu. Nadir offered to stay at home with me, but I told him he should go since Lucina was going to be there. He was tempted, I could tell, to leave me to my own devices. I was really glad that he opted out of the party for me. Still, I felt really bad that he was forced to take care of me when he could have been hanging with his girlfriend and friends. I'm really sorry, Nadir. I'll make it up to you sometime…_

 _I don't want to see Roseclere at school…I feel awful that I broke my promise of being there for her, but there's more to it…I don't know what, but I know that something else is going to hold me back from seeing her again…I just know that I can't face her for the time being._

 _…it's time for me to take my medicine. I'll write again soon._

This was the entry after the previous one:

 ** _June 10, 2013_**

 _I finally realize why I didn't feel as happy as I should have when Marth and Roseclere got together. It's because…because…I love Roseclere._

When Nadir read that line he flinched noticeably. At his strange reaction, his friends looked at the page with concern, wondering what could have made the level-headed twin start like that. A slight gasp escaped from Roseclere's lips the second she read that deciding line. Lucina covered her mouth in shock while Marth just stared at the page with wide eyes.

"Pit…liked me?" the snowy-haired woman whispered. "But…Why…?"

Nadir ignored his friend's question. His eyes traced over the words, fervently searching once again. However the sinking feeling in his chest warned him that perhaps he had already found the answer to his question and maybe he shouldn't keep reading.

 _I…I never really thought about my own love life. I guess I was just too busy thinking about others that I never got a chance to find my own soulmate. I can't believe I never noticed…I always tried to be there for Roseclere whenever I had the opportunity and to comfort her whenever she was down. And I would usually turn to her whenever I have problems that I feel Nadir wouldn't be able to sympathize with me. That one time when nobody…when nobody would listen to me…she was there to pick me up. I can't believe I never noticed. I'm such an idiot._

There were many spots on the old paper that wrinkled. Upon closer examination, the four friends realized that Pit had been crying when he wrote that entry. Nadir felt somebody leave his side and rightly guessed that it was Roseclere. Another person left to comfort her. The twin read on.

 _I can't believe I never noticed…but what can I do now? She's together with the one she likes. And I honestly can't ask for anything better. She and Marth make the perfect, and cute, couple. He's adventurous, courteous, handsome, and overall great. There's no way I could compete, not after how I've only met her this year while Marth knew her since elementary. There's absolute no way, and it's wrong if I think there should be a way. After all, I'm the one who helped her get together with Marth. I'm the one who gave her advice and ensured that their little dates went according to plan. And besides, they fit. They're perfect for each other. There is no way I can break a great relationship, even if it's for my sake._

 _…anyways…it's almost the end of the year. All of us would be moving on. We're going to different colleges, so I guess it'll be okay. Hopefully, this sensation would be gone soon. I don't want to ruin my friendship with both of them over the fact that I'm too selfish to consider their feelings. I'll support them all the way, they can be sure of that. Especially…_

Roseclere's name on this page had been smudged out. On accident or on purpose, Nadir couldn't tell. There were more entries after that but they just recorded normal day circumstances. Some had heart-wrenching passages and though they didn't really give any concrete detail on why Pit began to drink, they did hint the growing possibility of Nadir's suspicion was true. It was only when he turned a few more pages until he came to it.

This was the last entry:

 ** _August 22, 2015_**

 _I don't know why. It hurts…it still hurts. Even after all these years of separation with only a few get-togethers, it still hurts. Why? Why does it still hurt? Is it because I see how happy they are? Is it because I know that maybe, just maybe, I could have been with her if I never helped her with Marth in the first place? Should I have told her about my feelings on that day when my heart realized it while my mind failed to? If I did, what would have happened? Would we actually be together now? Would we have gone to the movies and beach, just the two of us enjoying each other's company? Would we have attended the same colleges despite our different career choices just so we could be there for each other? Would we be talking to each other on the phone constantly to keep in touch? Would we be wishing that the night would quickly pass so the next morning we could see each other's faces again? Would we still be together, even now?_

 _…No…She probably would have rejected me. There was no way, no way at all…even if I had the chance, I never would have been able to do it. Roseclere's much happier with Marth than she could ever be with me…_

 _Nadir's been asking if I'm feeling well. I always reassure him that I'm fine, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid that he would find out and tell Roseclere about it. I can't have that. Not after all my hard work of keeping it to myself and preventing anything disastrous from happening…besides, I don't want my friends to worry about me. There are more important matters to deal with than a broken heart…_

 _…_

(Scrawled and wrinkled) _Roseclere just called me._

 _I…I can't do it…I can't do it. I can't take it anymore. I'm so sorry, everyone, but I just can't do it. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…please forgive me…_

The sentence stopped there with a splotch. This splotch, however, differed from the tearstains found in the recent previous pages. It darkened the page more than a normal spot would, stained and wrinkled. As Nadir continued to flip through, he saw how the stains littered even more pages. It was as if Pit had spilled something over the remaining pages or dropped his journal in water…

"It's alcohol," Nadir finally muttered. This was the passage that set the final nail in Pit's coffin. He looked up to see Roseclere staring at the journal with a horrified expression, Marth's arms around her. The sorrow and regret were clear in her eyes as she remembered that day. She had called Pit in hopes of catching up since they hadn't conversed with each other in a while. Her heart shattered at the image of an exhausted Pit smiling through the pain in his heart as he listened to everything she had to say. The picture of Pit scratching his last words on the page with multiple bottles of oblivion right next to him plagued her after the first image faded. She could feel the tears prickling her eyes until she finally broke down sobbing. Roseclere covered her mouth in a futile effort to stop her tears. In an instance, Marth tightened his embrace around his girlfriend to comfort her, drawing her close to provide a sanctuary for her tears. He didn't say anything as he thought back to how Pit hid his envy of him. The dead man had masked it well as Marth couldn't remember even a single moment when Pit faltered his cheerful appearance. Even though he knew that he wasn't at fault, Marth couldn't stop the guilt from stabbing his heart accusingly. Even though Pit helped Marth get together with Roseclere, Marth still stole the love of Pit's life from him. Nadir let the journal drop from his hands, shaking his head.

"I should have known…I should have known!"

"Nadir…" Lucina began.

The younger twin gripped his fists tightly in anger, "I saw the signs! I saw all of it! I knew there was something wrong with him! I could have done something! I could have done something to stop him!" He suddenly slammed his fist against the wall, startling his friends. Upon contact, the fury drained from his body. Nadir slid to his knees, breath heavy with regret. For a moment, nobody moved, nobody wanted to. After settling on a decision, Lucina slowly leaned towards her boyfriend and hugged him. She felt a small start of surprise when she felt him hold her hand in his.

"I could have done something…" he muttered in a shaky voice. "I could have saved him…"

"Nadir," Marth tried to comfort his broken friends. "Pit…didn't tell us. He wouldn't tell us. We couldn't have done anything."

The younger twin glared at him, but there was more sorrow than anger in his red eyes as more tears gathered at the corner of his eyes. "I saw the signs, but I didn't pursue them. _I could have done something_ …if I did…Pit would still be alive right now. I could have done something! It's my fault my brother's dead!"

"No, Nadir…it's all of my fault…I couldn't see…" Roseclere shakily said. Marth wanted to tell her that that wasn't true, that they were all equally at fault. Yet she shook her head, as if knowing that her boyfriend wanted to relieve her of that inevitable guilt. She held her head in her hands. Even though Marth tightened his embrace, she found no comfort from it. The one person who sacrificed so much, the one person who gave up so his friends could be happy, was dead, perhaps all because of her. There was no other way around it. "I…I must have hurt him so much…"

Nadir bristled at that. Truthfully he wanted to put all the blame on Roseclere. It was because of her that everything happened. If Pit never met Roseclere, then he wouldn't have helped her. If Pit never met Roseclere, then he wouldn't have fallen in love with her. If Pit never met Roseclere, then he wouldn't have started drinking when she broke his heart. If Pit never met Roseclere, he would still be alive.

Though, try as he might, Nadir couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew deep down that if Roseclere had known, then she would have done something to stop Pit. All of them would have. He kept his mouth shut as he looked away, his brother's last words still bouncing in his mind.

"We were all at fault," Lucina said quietly. "There's no doubt about it. All of us could have done something…" She tightened her hug around Nadir, "But at the same time, Pit was also at fault." The younger twin snapped his head up at that. He opened his mouth to protest but Lucina shook her head. "It's true. If he told us, then we could have helped him. He should have known his friends would have done anything to help." Nadir and Roseclere paused to think about Lucina's words. They nodded in reluctant agreement.

"…You're probably right…"

Maybe they were right. If they did try to see, they might have been able to save Pit from death by a broken heart. If Pit told them, they might have been able to work something out. Yet maybe they were wrong. Even if Pit said something, perhaps nothing would stop the red string of fate that stood out so clearly for the Matchmaker. It was quite ironic, Nadir thought bitterly, how the one person who strived to spread love to his friends couldn't even spread love for himself. And he paid the ultimate price for it.

* * *

 **Uh...hehehe...there you go! I hope that all of you guys were able to get the lesson here. Please, please...if you guys are hiding something, don't keep it inside. It could be extremely detrimental and drive you far from the path. Talk it out with somebody; it would make you feel better. There are people who understand and want to help. And if you're conscious or even suspecting of a friend's situation, don't leave them hanging. Make sure they're all right as they might not say anything to not worry other people. I have some friends like that, but fortunately, they have no plans to go through extremes. I have talked to them and ensured that they really were important in my life. One of the best ways to help is to tell them good qualities about themselves and share great memories that make them smile. It's not worth losing a friend.**

 **Now that we got the sober part over, as some of you may notice, I can't help but include my mains. Dark Pit, obviously, and Link. Then there was the mentioning of Cloud~! I couldn't resist. Always, always expect some mentioning of those three in my future Smash stories :D**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this little bit and perhaps it may have helped you guys as well. If you and it did, then I'm glad. Remember to leave a review! And tell me if I managed to break your heart. That way, I know that I achieved my assignment's purpose. You guys didn't forget that this was all for my Writing class, did you? ;) And for venting. I needed venting a bit. Just to let you guys know...don't follow what I did. I still haven't said anything to my friend.**


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